Strictly Business
by Jmaka
Summary: My auction story for the most wonderful Iwannahorn. A reluctant Lorelai gets handed a class assignment for Spring Break which turns out to be much more interesting than she expected.


Here is my Support Stacie auction story written for Iwannahorn. Believe it or not I did research on business plans for this story. I apologize again for the real-life delay. I've included the prompt at the end. Let me know what you think!

The setting: Season two after the accident but before Jess came back.

I had them make up a little sooner than they did on the actual show. I also stuck Christopher in a catapult and launched him into outer space. If you look somewhere around Uranus, you can see him, arms and legs thrashing around, screaming. Heh.

I don't know what it is about auction stories but I always make them one-shots but believe me its long. As always, reviews if ya wanna.

* * *

Strictly Business

Lorelai glanced up at the clock as her professor droned on. The subject matter had suddenly gotten a little too dry to hold her attention. Or maybe she was just impatient for class to be dismissed. This being her last class before Spring Break, the minutes seemed to stretch on endlessly as she tried to valiantly muster on until the final bell. She'd have a week where she wouldn't have to worry about reading lengthy but boring case studies. She had to remind herself at times like this that she was doing this willingly. She wanted to fulfill her dream of running her own Inn and to do that she needed to learn as much as she could and get her degree.

She was looking forward to spending some time with Rory. Chilton also had their Spring Break coming up soon. Even though they wouldn't be off from school at exactly the same time, there was enough of an overlap that they could have some much-needed downtime, a chance to get crazy, have one of their patented movie-marathons and just hang out together around Stars Hollow. They had both been working so hard and needed some down time. She'd made arrangements to take a few days off from the Inn during Rory's vacation for that very purpose.

The collective groan that rose from the class brought Lorelai out of her musings. She turned her attention back to the professor who was busily writing on the board.

"I know, I know, this is a first." he replied to the wave of negativity that was directed at him. "I usually don't do this, but I'm giving you an assignment over your break. Welcome to the real world." He turned around and scanned the sea of students, most of them in their early twenties and continued on unfazed. "Your assignment is to profile an existing small business, paying special attention to how they fit into the established model from your studies. Include budget and expense forecasts, if you can and document their operating practices. Also interview the owner to get a sense of how and why their business came about and how it contributes to the community. Remember, most successful businesses are run by people who love what they are doing." The professor smiled tolerantly at the assembly. "Your report should be at least ten pages with cited references and is due when we come back." The bell rang mercifully. "Class dismissed."

"Acchk," Lorelai said aloud, her voice blending with the other grumbling students. In the short span of a few minutes, all of her thoughts of relaxing and having fun were shot to hell. Irritated, she gathered up her things and followed the rest of the students out of the classroom.

So much for Spring Break.

~#~

"But I had plans!" Lorelai whined to Rory as they sat down in the diner. She'd ranted the entire walk there and Rory listened sympathetically but she was not displaying the adequate amount of despair and regret that Lorelai was. "We were going to have a movie marathon and go shopping at the mall and have a Sephora day and—"

"You do realize that we only have three days where we are both off at the same time don't you?" Rory asked, trying to bring her mother back to reality. "That's a lot to cram into such a short period of time."

"And when has that stopped us before?" Lorelai queried. Luke arrived at the table with a couple of mugs and the coffee pot. "Oooh coffee, just what I always wanted, how did you know?"

"I got that memo a long time ago," Luke replied with a roll of his eyes. "I always lay on another pot at this time of the day because I know you'd string me up if I didn't." He set down the pot and pulled out his ordering pad. "What'll you have?"

"Haven't you figured that one out too, Kreskin?" Lorelai gently teased him. Even though they were now talking after what happened with Jess, they hadn't completely gotten back into their comfortable groove. The banter at times was still a little awkward. She was grateful, however that they had come to an understanding. She'd realized just how much she missed him. Not the food or the coffee or the chores—just him. "Cheeseburger, fries, extra cheese and chili."

"On the burger or the fries?" Luke asked in a serious voice, his pen paused on the page.

Baby steps, she thought and soon everything would be back to normal. "Duh, both," Lorelai chided him good-naturedly.

He looked to Rory. "The same," she told him sweetly.

"Why am I not surprised," he commented, all too aware of their deplorable eating habits. He shook his head as he walked back to the kitchen to prepare their food.

"So back to our plans," Lorelai prompted after Luke had left. "What are we gonna do?"

"How bout we wait and see?" Rory suggested. "You do realize I'll probably have assignments of my own to do on break. Depending on how things play out, we both might be too busy to do any of that stuff let alone enjoy it."

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "Just remember this when you're old and grey and all you can remember of your youth is your nose stuck in a book rather than fond memories of your dear, sweet mother: I wanted you to have fun and all you wanted to do was study."

Rory rolled her eyes at her mother. "Don't you think you should start figuring out who you can ask to profile for your report? You don't have a lot of time. What about Grandpa?"

"Seriously?" Lorelai inquired in disbelief. "This class is dull enough as it is. Writing a paper about your grandfather and the insurance business will put not only me, but the professor asleep. I'll flunk."

"Mom, it won't be as bad as that," Rory remonstrated. "Besides, who else can you ask?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know anyone who would want an outsider poking around in their business," she admitted honestly. "It is a bit of an imposition. Oooh! Maybe I could just use myself and my experience at the Independence Inn!" she declared. "I can change the names around to protect the guilty! What do you think about me interviewing Gorelai Lilmore, the fabulous manager who runs the Dependence Inn?"

"Subtle," Rory snickered, "and a little creepy. Do incontinent old people stay there?'

"Very funny," Lorelai shot back. She set her coffee cup down and sat back as Luke appeared at the table with their dinners. He set her plate down before moving to the other side of the table.

"You probably shouldn't interview yourself," Rory advised. "Maybe someone from the town?"

"I'm not sure who to ask then," she pondered. "It would be asking a lot to have someone share confidential information with a strange person.'

"And you're as strange as they come," Rory quipped.

"She's got you there," Luke chimed in as he set down Rory's plate and quickly withdrew.

"Hey! I meant an outsider." Lorelai swatted at Rory playfully since Luke was now too far away. "People are funny about financial matters and I wouldn't want to infringe on someone's private business. Besides, I'm sure if I started asking around, Taylor would come up with some town law that I'd be breaking."

"Hmph," Rory commented with a mouthful of cheeseburger, nodding in agreement. "Or maybe he'll offer to be interviewed," she speculated, once she could talk again.

Lorelai shuddered, imagining long hours listening to Taylor drone on about the market. "If that's the case, I just might go with your grandfather." She dropped the discussion for the moment. She was too hungry and the burger was just too darned good. They munched in silence, enjoying the food and each other's company. The diner slowly cleared out as they ate their dinner.

As she downed the last bite, Rory got up. "I need to go over to Lane's."

"What no pie?" Lorelai exclaimed in shock. "Sacrilege!"

"Bring some home with you," Rory called over her shoulder as she exited the diner.

Lorelai waved as Rory left then picked up coffee cup once again, frowning when she realized it was empty. She was about to open her mouth and call to Luke when, making his rounds to the tables, he showed up with the pot.

"Wow, way to read my mind Uri Geller," she joked.

"Yeah and you should see me bend spoons, too," he quipped.

"But I'll need pie too. Extra, extra whipped cream," Lorelai added.

Luke's eyebrows shot up, all kidding aside. "Is something wrong?" He was curious about the little bit of their conversation that he'd overheard earlier.

"No, its nothing," she waved her hand dismissively as she watched him go back behind the counter to cut and garnish the pie. Lorelai noticed he smothered in whipped cream just as she'd asked, without making a comment. When he returned to the table and served it to her, instead of just standing there, he sat down in Rory's seat. He looked at her, waiting.

Lorelai sighed. "I got this last minute assignment to profile a local business and its owner and it has to be done over the break. I'm kinda mad that it will cut into my time with Rory, plus I have no idea who to pester about this. I'm afraid I might get stuck interviewing Taylor which will be a fate worse than death," she said gloomily.

Luke let out a short laugh at the thought of her being stuck with Taylor. Noting her crestfallen face, he quickly sobered, realizing how this was important to her. "Well I guess if you can't find anyone else, you can pester me if you want," Luke offered tentatively.

Lorelai looked at him in surprise. "Really? I don't want to annoy you with all the questions and details."

"You already annoy me," Luke shot back. "This probably wouldn't be any worse than usual."

"I'd have to interview you and ask you all sorts of questions about why you started up the diner and how. You know, personal stuff about the business," Lorelai stated clearly, making sure he knew what he was agreeing to. "Are you sure?" Now that she was back at the diner on a regular basis, she didn't want to do anything to wreck the delicate reconciliation between them. Although she had to admit, having Luke as her subject would definitely make the process less dreary and she'd probably spend a lot of time at the diner during her time off anyway. It'd be easy for her to gather most of the information she needed just sitting there. It would also give her the opportunity to truly apologize to him for her over-the-top behavior.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Luke assured her, shrugging like it was no big thing. He leaned back watching the relief and gratitude play across her features and was inwardly pleased with himself. He had long ago assumed a protector role when it came to both the Gilmore girls. He knew that Lorelai had enough challenges raising a daughter on her own and he was more than happy to let her lean on him whenever she needed help. Granted it would be a personal intrusion but as she sat across from him, he decided it was definitely worth it. Plus it would help them get back on familiar footing, something they hadn't quite achieved after the car accident.

Lorelai's eyes sparkled with sudden mischief. "You're really gonna let me into the inner circle, the special fraternity of backwards-baseball-cap-flannel-wearing business of running the diner?" A goofy grin appeared on Lorelai's face "Will you teach me the special diner handshake? Or how to cook?"

He rolled his eyes at her antics, which were more on par with her usual behavior. He suppressed the urge to smile. "I could teach you the handshake but then I'd have to kill you." he deadpanned.

Lorelai laughed out loud in response and Luke did actually grin at this point.

"As for teaching you how to cook, I am fully aware of your attention span," he said knowingly. "I don't think you'd be able to focus long enough to learn anything."

"You gotta point there," she allowed, as her laughter died down. The extent of her cooking skills were of the rip and dump variety. "Can we start tomorrow?"

"Perfect timing. I have appointments with both my accountant and the bank tomorrow. You can tag along if you want."

"Great!" Lorelai agreed enthusiastically. "What time?" She grabbed her purse and dug out some money for dinner.

"After the breakfast rush, around ten," Luke replied, standing up. She handed him the money and he went to get change.

"Oh, I need pie to-go for Rory!" Lorelai remembered.

Luke took the cover off the pie and cut two large pieces and put them in a to-go box. "Here." As she looked a query at him, he added, "as a small business owner, I know my customers and I know you are going to try and talk Rory out of her pie, so here's a piece for you too. I'm sure you have whipped cream at home." It was a statement, not a question.

"Of course, it's a staple at our house," Lorelai laughed again. He knew her too well. "Thanks, Luke. See you tomorrow." She smiled at him over her shoulder as she left.

~#~

Lorelai walked briskly down the sidewalk to Luke's. Since she went into work early to cover the time she would be away, she hadn't had a chance to have any real breakfast, only coffee. She was hoping she'd have enough time to have a late breakfast before they headed out for his appointments.

As she entered the diner, Luke was just passing by with some empty plates.

"You're here early," he commented.

"I was hoping to get some breakfast first," she said following after him and sitting at the counter. She watched him disappear into the kitchen. "Aren't you going to change?"

Luke came out and poured her a cup of coffee, glancing at the clock. "I have enough time to take care of your order and then get ready," he told her.

After he delivered her order, Luke vanished behind the curtain to his apartment upstairs leaving Cesar in charge while Lorelai leisurely enjoyed her breakfast. She kept an eye on the clock. It was getting closer to ten and still no Luke. She was wondering if she should go up to hurry him along when she spied him in the corner of her eye as he re-entered the diner.

"It's about time," she complained picking up her purse. "I was beginning to think—" her voice trailed off as she took in his appearance. She hadn't expected him to wear a flannel shirt; she had seen him last year after a bank meeting but this…..

The crisp, button-down blue shirt made his eyes all the more blue and piercing but on top of that he was shrugging on a casual gray tweed sport coat that made his eyelashes appear to be about a yard long. He still wore jeans, just a nicer pair and the hat was gone, his hair neatly combed and curling a bit around his ears.

"What?" he questioned a trifle bit defensively as he came to a stop in front of her. He remembered her joking comments the last time she had seen him dressed up after a bank meeting.

Lorelai barely heard him. She was too caught up in the way he looked and her reaction to him.

"Ah, um," she fumbled, her eyes glazing over slightly. The shirt and jacket, though not tight, clung to him, clearly defining his broad chest, making her all-too-aware of every breath he took. "You look…."

"I can't go to the bank looking like I just cleaned the kitchen," he pointed out, certain she was going to tease him again. "I get better results when I make the effort."

"Results, um, effort, yeah," Lorelai parroted. God, he looked good.

"Are you coming with me or not?" Luke asked impatiently. "I get better results when I'm on time too."

"Oh!" Lorelai came to her senses, mentally kicking herself. She felt like an idiot for all but drooling over him. Thankfully he didn't appear to notice. He held the door open for her and then they were out on the sidewalk, heading across the square to the bank.

"So," Lorelai began, gathering her thoughts, trying to remember the questions she needed to ask, "You're the sole proprietor of Luke's right? No silent partners or anything like that?"

"No," he replied, mechanically weaving his way around other pedestrians, effortlessly guiding her as well, "when I decided I wanted to turn the hardware store into a diner, I sunk most of my savings into converting the place. I knew the odds were against me and I didn't want to take anyone down with me."

"You knew people who were willing to invest?" Lorelai asked curiously, wondering who he was so close to that they would offer to back him. "Who?"

"Some friends," he said evasively. "I appreciated the offer and told them I would keep them in mind as a fall-back but I wanted to do this on my own. Have my own business, just like my dad. He didn't like working for anyone and neither do I." They crossed the street and were fast approaching the bank.

"You had enough saved to cover everything yourself?" Lorelai felt a little intimidated at the thought. If she waited until she had enough money she might never open up her own Inn.

"I managed to save some money and worked to earn the rest," Luke replied. "Luckily for me, my dad owned the property. After he died I was living upstairs. What little I changed in the store, I was able to do myself, like the counter, some of the electrical work. Everything kind of got pieced together. It might not be fancy but it's what I wanted."

"Hmmm," Lorelai said reflectively. The diner was definitely a reflection of him. It had a comfortable, homey feel about it. She found the mismatched tables and chairs endearing. Even the old hardware items blended in and gave the place a quirky kind of charm.

"Here we are," Luke held the door open for her and they went into the bank.

~#~

"Wow, I can't believe I found these meetings so interesting," Lorelai declared as Luke opened the passenger door of the truck. "You're a natural."

After sitting through a meeting at the bank then taking the truck to drive to Luke's accountant who lived further out, she had to admit she was impressed and a bit surprised. Luke handled himself with the ease of business mogul. He'd introduced Lorelai and unconcernedly spoke at length and in depth about financial issues.

Lorelai thought that she would have questions but the way Luke presented himself left very little to be clarified and she marveled at his business acumen. She was also envious. His aplomb as he dealt with the bank official and his accountant and the way they treated him spoke volumes. This paper was practically writing itself in her head.

"Just the way I do business," Luke shrugged said as he got in on his side and started the truck.

"I hope it wasn't too much of an imposition, hearing, in-depth, about the financial state of the diner," Lorelai said tentatively. She was slightly staggered at how successful the diner actually was and surprised that Luke was as up-to-date on his books as his accountant was.

"No, it's fine," Luke reassured her. Truth be told he had enjoyed having her along for the ride. She'd listened attentively and he could see her storing up the information, only taking notes occasionally.

"I'm impressed," Lorelai murmured sincerely.

Luke colored slightly at the unexpected compliment. He was so used to her teasing that these moments where they had normal conversations sometimes threw him. But he decided it was something he could get used to.

"I hope I handle things half as well as you do when I finally open up my Inn," she confessed in a small voice.

"You will. You run the Independence Inn," he reminded her. "That can't be a walk in the park."

"It's not," she agreed, "But I'm just the manager there. With my own place, everything would rest solely on my shoulders." She stared out the window. "Even with all my talk, sometimes it seems so…daunting."

"You'll do just fine," he assured her, glancing over at the passenger side of the truck. When he saw she was looking out the window pensively, he reached over and brushed her sleeve. She turned back to face him, her eyes uncertain. "I have no doubt about it," he said confidently.

She was touched by his unswerving belief in her abilities and her confidence increased with the unexpected boost. "Thanks, Luke," she whispered.

He turned his attention back to the road and soon he was pulling up behind the diner. "Do you want some lunch?" he offered as they got out of the truck. His meetings had run longer than expected and it was already mid-afternoon.

"No, I have to get back to the Inn," she said regretfully as they walked out onto the sidewalk. She enjoyed spending time with him doing something other than being in the diner. "Maybe I can pick your brain some more if you're not too busy? After dinner?"

"Anytime," he said, pleased that he'd be seeing her yet again today. They paused before going their separate ways and he held his hand up in farewell. "See you later." He turned and headed back into the diner.

Lorelai smiled as she watched him go, thinking, not for the first time, that she was lucky to have a friend like him.

~#~

Lorelai plopped down on a chair at her usual table, giving Luke a tired smile when he appeared by her side. "Busy day?" he inquired as he poured her a cup of coffee.

"Yes and I'm glad it's over," she said as he took a sip.

"Do you want to order now or wait for Rory?" Luke asked.

"She should be here in a few minutes," Lorelai answered. Luke left her to savor her coffee while he made a circuit of the diner to make sure everyone was taken care of.

"Hey, Mom," Rory said as she dropped down heavily into the chair next to her. She sighed. "Did you order yet?" she asked tiredly.

"Not yet," Lorelai said, noting how worn-out Rory looked. "Are you alright? Everything go okay at school?"

"Just Paris being Paris," Rory answered her cryptically. Her features lit into a genuine smile as Luke showed up with a mug and the coffee pot. "Thanks Luke," she said gratefully. They put in their orders and he left.

"So what's Paris up to now?" Lorelai inquired.

"Oh nothing," Rory waved it off. "Just stuff for 'The Franklin'. She's single-handedly trying to have our school paper compete with 'The New York Times'. But enough about that," she said dismissively. "How did things go with Luke today?"

"Surprisingly well," Lorelai admitted enthusiastically. "There is a lot more too him than meets the eye."

"That's usually what happens when you delve into someone's life work. What did you expect to find when you scratched the surface?" Rory asked curiously.

"I don't know, maybe more flannel?" Lorelai joked but then grew serious. "Talk about still waters running deep. He's got a business savvy that could rival Donald Trump." Distractedly she observed him coming out of the kitchen and working behind the counter. She smiled.

"Wow," Rory said clearly impressed. She noticed how Lorelai was trailing after him with her eyes in an unusual, yet thoughtful way. Rory was sure she was not thinking about his business but the man himself. When Lorelai told her Luke was going to be the subject of her paper, Rory felt a sense of relief. She and Luke had been getting closer before the accident and Rory was sure something serious was happening between them. It was even more clearly pointed out once they had fought. Both were out of sorts and that familiar comfortable feeling was gone from both of them. Now it was back and Rory couldn't be happier. "I think it's good that you're spending time with him. It will help get things back to normal since the accident and you can get close again."

"We weren't really that close to begin with," Lorelai automatically replied, turning her attention back to Rory as Luke once again disappeared into the kitchen. She was used to people trying to throw her and Luke together. At Rory's pointed stare she went on. "Don't start that again. You know Luke and I are just friends."

"Maybe," Rory conceded, "but I think this assignment could lead to something more."

"Rory!" Lorelai remonstrated in a low voice looking around. She didn't want anyone eavesdropping on this conversation. "Luke and I don't think about each other in that way," she lied. Images of how he looked today and her response were suddenly filling her head.

"C'mon, Mom. Luke's always had thing for you. Maybe it's time you acknowledged it."

Lorelai opened her mouth to argue further when she saw Luke emerge from the kitchen, their order in hand. "Sssh!" she hissed at her daughter. She saw Luke pause and wondered if maybe he'd somehow known they were talking about him.

Luke set their dinners down and hesitated for a moment like he was going to say something. He had noticed Lorelai's furtive behavior and was about to make a comment but before he could, she beat him to the punch.

"Hey," Lorelai protested before he could say a word. She was eying their plates. "She got more fries! How come she gets more fries?"

"Because she looks like she's a hard day and could use a little something extra as a pick me up," Luke stated.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory perked up and grinned at being the recipient of special attention.

"I've had a hard day too!" Lorelai protested.

"You did not," Luke declared. "You forget, you spent a hefty chunk of today either in the diner or with me and it wasn't all that taxing."

Lorelai's lip protruded out as she pouted at him but he stood firm. At that moment, Kirk entered the diner and sat down.

"Luke can I have my usual?" he called out. "I want my grilled cheese cut into stars this time."

As Luke was about to reply, the diner bell rang again as a group of tourists entered the diner. He looked at Lorelai, then Kirk, then the tourists before shooting her a second look. "Duty calls," he said apologetically before turning away.

Lorelai was surprised at the sudden pang of disappointment as he left them. She had hoped her antics would successfully distract him from quizzing her about their conversation but when even more customers entering the diner, she realized now he would be much too busy to spend time bantering with her. Them, she reminded herself, remembering Rory was sitting next to her. She vented her frustrations on her burger, taking a huge bite.

Rory noticed how her mother's face fell after Luke turned away and noting the sudden spate of customers, realized the reason for it. "It'll be okay Mom. He'll be back." She continued eating her dinner as well.

"But we were going to talk more about business for my paper," Lorelai whined, trying to hide the real reason for her suddenly low spirits. "He'll be too busy and it's getting late." She sighed, "He's probably forgotten about it anyway."

"Lorelai," Luke seemed to suddenly materialize next to them, startling them both." It looks like I'll be closing late with this crowd. I'm sorry." He successfully his disappointment; he didn't expect her to sit around wasting her time until he was free. "Can we talk more about the business tomorrow, maybe after lunch? I promise to give you all the time you need."

Rory inwardly smiled as she watched Lorelai eagerly agree and they both smiled at each other with barely-concealed relief before Luke turned away again. Yep, as much as they both denied it, Rory was certain there was interest there on both sides. Luke had a thing for her mother but now, she was pretty sure, her mother had the same thing for Luke.

She just hoped this "assignment" would finally bring them together.

~#~

Lorelai walked through the hall of the Independence Inn, completely absorbed with furiously scribbling in her notepad. She looked up occasionally as staff members wended their way out of her path. She'd come in early once again so she'd be able to take a longer lunch at Luke's to pick his brain some more. Her morning had been spent writing and rewriting what information she'd gathered in between her tasks of running the Independence Inn. Finally she checked the time and decided to take a break but didn't want to set aside her paper. She reached her destination and entered the kitchen.

"Coffee?" she asked as she looked up. She stopped writing and set her work aside.

"Just made a fresh pot," Sookie replied from the stove as she sprinkled some herbs into a sauce. She glanced over her shoulder and watched Lorelai pour herself a cup, noting the look of concentration on her face. "Whatcha workin' on?"

Lorelai waved her hand dismissively, "I'm just writing down notes for my paper for my business class. Whenever I get an idea on how to phrase something I jot it down." She sipped her coffee.

Sookie craned her neck and saw several pages full of writing. "What's it about?"

"A profile of a local business and its owner," Lorelai replied absently, her mind still running through the information she had so far. "My evil professor assigned it for over the break. It's due when I go back."

"Whose business are you profiling?"

"Luke's"

"Really." The eagerness in Sookie's drew Lorelai's attention back to her. "That's very interesting that you'd pick Luke."

"I didn't pick Luke, he offered," Lorelai said a trifle bit defensively, realizing she shouldn't have told Sookie about the assignment. Sookie had been subtly and not-so-subtly pushing her at Luke practically since day one when they'd first met.

"Uh huh," Sookie smirked at her, unconvinced.

At her speculative look, she went on, "It's totally about his business, Sook. It's for a grade."

"Uh huh," Sookie repeated. "There's no chance it could be more that just business?"

Lorelai's gaze shifted slightly as thoughts of Luke dressed up popped into her brain again. "Strictly business," she emphasized a little too loudly.

Realizing Sookie did not believe her, she plucked a couple of pages she had written so far.

"You don't think its business?" She scanned her words, focusing on the some of the main points. "Luke has sole proprietorship of Luke's and though he lives above the diner, his business can still be considered a Brick and Mortar establishment. He had people willing to invest in the diner, but he got all of his funding from bootstrapping, which means he earned or raised the capital himself," Lorelai said as if she were instructing a class. "Even though did not take out a loan, you would not believe the relationship he has with the Stars Hollow bank. He has an accountant but mainly to double check his own bookkeeping and to keep him up-to-date on tax-related issues." She arched an eyebrow at Sookie. "That's the short version of what I have so far. Now do you believe me?"

"Yes, I believe you're writing a paper on Luke for your class," Sookie agreed, "but that doesn't mean there isn't more going on here."

"I give up," Lorelai surrendered. "There's no convincing you." Lorelai noticed the time and finished. "I have to go."

"Aren't you going to have lunch?" Sookie queried.

Lorelai steeled herself before replying. "No, I am headed to the diner. I have an appointment with Luke to discuss business."

"I see," Sookie giggled. At Lorelai's warning look, she stopped. "Don't let me keep you from you 'appointment' then."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and turned to leave. Just as she was almost out the door, Sookie piped up again. "Have fun!"

~#~

The diner was still in full lunch rush mode when Lorelai arrived. She looked around in surprise that most of the townies were still there. Babette and Miss Patty were sitting near the window. Reverend Skinner and Rabbi Behrens were having coffee and engrossed in some theological conversation. As it was, the only spot available to her was at the counter next to Kirk. As she made her way towards it, Luke emerged from the kitchen, plates in hand.

"Are you giving the food away today?" she asked as he walked past her.

"Seems like it," he answered. "It's one of those days when everybody decides to eat out." He continued on delivering the order.

"Lorelai, Sugah," Babette called her over.

"How's it going today, Babette?"

"Things are fine, Sugah," Babette replied. "I was gonna rearrange Pierpont and the others today, cuz he likes it when I set em up like he's holdin' court but when I got up this mornin', my ankles felt like they had inna' tubes on 'em!" She stuck out a stubby leg to show her. "Since it's gonna rain, I decided to wait so me 'n Patty decided to have us a good, old-fashioned chat."

"Uh huh," Lorelai nodded slowly. These two took the concept of chatting to an entirely new level. She looked over at Patty who was looking around the diner. "How you doing today, Patty?"

"I'm wonderful, dear," Patty grinned at her. "I'm so glad we came here. Luke's is the best place to eat in Stars Hollow. The floor show is superb." Her gaze wandered off to a spot over Lorelai's right shoulder.

Lorelai looked around to see what she had captured her attention and saw Luke bending over as he wiped down a table. She turned back to Patty. "You're incorrigible," she chastised her good-naturedly.

"It never hurts to look, dear," Patty replied, totally unapologetic. "It's a free country."

Lorelai laughed and shook her head in gentle admonishment at the older woman before heading to the counter. She just sat down, when Luke came behind the counter from the other end and stopped at her place.

"You having lunch?" he asked as he poured her coffee.

"Well, seeing as your giving the food away," she smiled sweetly at him.

Luke rolled his eyes but took her order and disappeared into the kitchen. As Lorelai waited, sipping her coffee, her attention was drawn to Kirk. The food on his plate was arranged in an odd manner. He had a line of French fries laying end-to-end cordoning off his burger from his Cole slaw. She watched, strangely fascinated as he maneuvered his fork to take mouthful of his slaw without touching anything else on his plate.

"Are you building a moat there Kirk?" Lorelai asked in amusement.

"No, this how Luke serves my meal," he explained. "He knows I hate it when my food gets mixed together."

"But it all goes into your stomach, Kirk," Lorelai pointed out.

"So what are you saying?" Kirk asked confused.

Luke was ringing out a line of customers who suddenly appeared before the cash register. "Don't bother," he said to her, overhearing the last of their conversation. "It makes sense to him and shuts him up so that's good enough for me." He ducked back into the kitchen for a minute, then came out and set her meal down.

Lorelai took a huge bit of her burger, wondering how Luke put up with Kirk, Babette and Miss Patty, not to mention all the other quirky characters in town. She swallowed, noticing Luke had remained standing in front of her. She looked around and saw that even though the diner was still more than half-full, everyone seemed to be taken care of for the moment. "So can I ask you a few more questions?"

"Sure."

"How do you know how much to order?" she asked. She waved her hand around the diner. "I mean, you have your regulars and sometimes the tourist trade but how do you figure it out? Especially on a day like today?"

"Well I worked in a restaurant where I learned everything I needed to know about ordering and creating a par list." he explained.

"You worked in a restaurant? Around here?" Lorelai interjected intrigued. It boggled her mind to think he might have worked at Jo-Jo's or Al's Pancake World.

"No, somewhere else," he said, waving off further inquiries on the subject. Lorelai held off on quizzing about that for the moment. "Since I got the basic formula down, I've been pretty accurate with ordering what I need. That's not to say I don't run out of stuff sometimes but for the most part it works. The only exception," he added with a smirk, "was a few years ago when I had to increase the coffee order."

Lorelai shot him a look at his dig about her caffeine consumption as he moved down the counter to grab a rag. He methodically wiped down the empty counter, keeping himself occupied yet close enough to answer her questions.

"A par list?" she queried.

"It's a list of what you have ready, on-hand, what you project you'll need for the day or week and how much more you need of a specific item. Like eggs or cheese or coffee."

"Oh," she said, as the concept was made clear to her, "that makes sense." She swirled a couple of fries in her ketchup before all but inhaling them. "What about branding? You have your logo on the sign and the menu." She refrained from mentioning the hardware on the shelves or the sign outside. She already knew the story behind that. "Would you ever consider anything else like a uniform? Make your employees buy their own flannel shirts and backwards baseball caps or maybe supply them?" She smiled at him sweetly as he rolled his eyes at her.

"No," he said shortly. "This is a no frills place. If people want to be entertained, let them go to dinner theatre. If they want fancy food, they can go to some high-fallutin' restaurant. I keep things simple here. Simple menu, no ups, no weird extras and it's been working for me for more than ten years now."

"It certainly has," Lorelai agreed. She took her last bite of her burger and chewed thoughtfully. Another group of customers came up to the register to pay and as they left, more came in the diner. Lorelai knew she wouldn't get through any more questions. The diner was just too busy.

"Look," she said quickly as he was about to go wait on a new batch of customers. "Things are still a little crazy around here. How about I come by tonight after you close? That way you won't be running back and forth and I'll get the rest of the information I need."

After a quick look around the diner, he nodded in agreement. He was feeling bad about not being able to devote enough time to her when she came in to interview him. He wanted her to get a good grade. It was important to her.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed. "I should have everything closed up by nine tonight."

"I'll see you then," she said getting up and dropping enough money to cover her lunch and the tip. She glanced around the busy diner one last time. "Don't work too hard."

He nodded at her in farewell as she left. For a minute, the noise and the clamor faded away and he felt his spirits lift when he realized it would just be the two of them tonight. It's just going to be business he mentally corrected himself with a sigh. Strictly business. He was sorry it wasn't something more.

~#~

Lorelai hurried down the stairs, shoes in hand. "Okay, I'm headed over to Luke's You're okay here by yourself right? This should be the last time."

Rory was sitting on the couch, surrounded by open text books, watching her mother put her shoes on before she began collecting things that she'd need.

Rory sighed dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine," she said pretending to be put-upon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Oscar goes to…" Lorelai shot back at her as she headed for the door.

"Go," she teased keeping up the martyred tone. "Enjoy your date."

Lorelai was about to open the door when Rory's words brought her up short. She walked back into the living room. "This is not a date."

"An appointment to spend time with a man… Luke," the implication was clear in Rory's voice.

"Rory," Lorelai chastised her.

"Mom," Rory echoed in the same tone. It was time for her mother to acknowledge her feelings for Luke, once and for all.

"This is strictly business," Lorelai said defensively.

Rory shook her head. "You can say that all you want Mom, but I've seen how you've been since you started this paper. You like spending time with Luke."

"He feeds us!" Lorelai declared.

"And every time we've been there in the past few days, you've been happier than I've ever seen you. You pout if something takes him away from you. And Luke has spent time hanging around you, letting you pick his brain for the paper, making you privy to some pretty private information. Admit it Mom. You two are so into each other."

Lorelai fell silent, thinking. The more she found out about him, the more she wanted to know. And not just about the business. He made this mundane project more than bearable. He made her feel better, more confident about taking that plunge and starting her own business. She felt good around him. She hoped she did the same for him. She liked to think she wasn't as much of a pain in the butt as she seemed to be. Even if she was, Luke didn't seem to mind. He had been receptive to her questions, attentive and hell, downright chivalrous at times as she remembered how he'd escorted her about to his meetings.

Rory remained silent as Lorelai contemplated the last few days. She hoped her mother would finally admit the truth that had been staring them both in the face. "Well, you do what you want," Rory said going back to her book. "Have fun. I won't wait up."

~#~

The sign on the door said Closed but Lorelai could see Luke behind the counter as she walked up. She tried the door, found it unlocked and walked in.

"All closed up?" she asked sitting at the counter in front of him.

"Yeah, everything's done," he reached back to grab the large to-go cup and set it in front of her. "I saved you the last of the coffee."

"Thank you," she said gratefully. She noticed how he stretched tiredly. "Would you be more comfortable if we did this upstairs? You've got to be dead on your feet." After the words were out of her mouth, she wondered what prompted her to suggest going upstairs.

Luke, too was surprised, but hid it well. "If you want," he shrugged "Actually if you want to take a look at my ledger, you could do that."

Lorelai grabbed her purse, her notepad and her coffee cup. "Let's go."

He locked the door and turned off the lights. Lorelai could see the light shining through the curtain and followed him through and up the stairs. Luke unlocked the door, opened it and stepped back to let her proceed inside. She dumped her stuff on the kitchen table as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He retrieved his ledger and set it down in front of her, sitting down next to her, taking a long pull from his beer.

Lorelai opened the book, her eyes scanning the precise calculations. "Looks pretty much like your accountant's books on the diner," she observed.

"Yeah, I like to keep track of things myself," Luke replied. "I basically use him at tax time."

They both fell silent and sipped their respective drinks.

Luke cleared his throat, "Did you have any more questions for me?"

"Well," Lorelai began, "it's obvious that Luke's plays a vital role in Stars Hollow." As he started to pshaw, she cut across him, "You do a bang-up business. It's probably the most popular and important businesses in the town, next to Doose's."

"Thanks for lumping me in with Taylor," he interjected sourly. He took another slug of his beer to wash away the thought.

"There is one more thing I'd like to ask you about," Lorelai said carefully. "You've kind of avoided the question about it a couple of times already, but now that it's just you and me, maybe you'll tell me the story?"

"What story?"

"How and where did you learn how to run a diner? You've mentioned that you worked in a restaurant but not one around here. You've also mentioned you had potential investors and I was curious," she stumbled over her words as his eyes came up to meet hers.

He was quiet for a long moment. He took another long pull on his beer, finishing it. He got up and set the empty bottle in the sink before turning around and leaning on the counter. Lorelai didn't say a word but waited patiently. She realized this was personal to him and she wasn't about to joke or make light of whatever he was about to tell her.

"There's a place a few towns over called Sniffy's," he began. "Buddy and Maisy, well Maisy, went to school with my mother," he said quietly. Lorelai listened intently, knowing he was revealing something extremely personal about himself. "After my Dad died, I didn't have the desire to continue running the hardware store. Maisy knew I liked to cook and they knew I was thinking about turning the store into a diner so they gave me the opportunity to work for them."

Lorelai sat completely still, watching him. He didn't notice; he was staring at the floor.

"They taught me everything I know about running a diner," he said softly. "I didn't want them to pay me but they insisted. They said I was helping them out and my cooking was bringing in business so it was only fair." He let about an abortive laugh. "I thought I should be paying them for all of the on-the job training they gave me." He raised his head and looked her in the eye. "They pretty much let me ask all the kinds of questions you've been asking me the past few days, letting me look at their books, hell, even learning how to keep them." He swallowed at that point and Lorelai bit her lip, not wanting to intrude on the very special memories he was sharing with her.

"When it came time for me to start up Luke's, they were right there, offering money and help getting on my feet from everything to renovations to start up capital," he smiled at the memory. "What they didn't realize was they'd already given me everything I needed to succeed. The only problem I had was a severe case of nerves when I first opened," he laughed at the memory. "Once I threw up, passed out and came to, I was fine."

Lorelai sat in rapt attention, watching him closely. She didn't realize her eyes had misted slightly with tears. This went way past business. She could tell this was an intensely personal experience he was recounting and she felt honored that he had shared it with her. He'd let her in. She felt a rush of something much deeper than friendly affection for him.

"Of course," he went on gruffly, "they spent a lot of time with their customers, getting to know them and their families, making them feel special. That's not me. I'd rather be caught dead doing anything like that," he said depreciatingly. "The less I know—"

"You are such a faker," Lorelai said suddenly breaking in.

"What?"

"You," she stated again, "are such a faker." When he didn't reply she went on. "Look at you! You pretend to be this grumpy diner owner, a card-carrying hermit, yet as soon as somebody has a problem or needs help, you pitch right in, no questions asked."

"I do not," Luke said waving her off.

"Oh yes you do," Lorelai declared coming to her feet. "You put up with all the craziness this town has to offer." She advanced toward him. "Even though you hate it, you let Miss Patty drool all over you." She began ticking points off her fingers. "You listen to Babette go on about her garden gnomes and listen to her predict the weather with her ankles. You single-handed keep Kirk alive by feeding him and even though you don't buy into his mania, you let him spout crazy and not throw him out."

"You're the one spouting crazy," Luke said trying to deflect her words.

"You took in Jess," she went on, ignoring him, to drive home her point, "made a home for him, tried to put him on the right path so he can make something out of his life."

"And look at what a triumph that turned out to be," he interjected darkly, grimacing at that failure.

"No," Lorelai disagreed, her voice getting softer. "You didn't fail. I think you planted the seeds there. I wouldn't be surprised if Jess didn't put his life together and go on to bigger and better things."

Luke shrugged noncommittally, silently hoping her words were true.

"And last of all me and Rory," her voice was much softer now as she stopped in front of him, less than a foot away. "How many times have you ridden in to the rescue when something needed fixing around the house? How many times have we come in for breakfast, sometimes breakfast, lunch and dinner and you fed us exactly what we want without comment?"

He arched a dubious eyebrow at her.

"Okay," Lorelai conceded with a soft smile, "you comment. But that only goes to show how much you care for us." She studied his face intently, realizing just how dear the familiar lines and planes of his face had become to her.

"You are my best customers," he said, ducking his head, trying to make light of the situation.

"No, it's more than that," she shook her head. "You're our very own Stars Hollow Superman."

He rolled his eyes at her but before he could say a word, she stepped even closer.

"All you need is a big yellow S right here." She laid her fingertips on his upper chest right above his heart and slowly traced out the letter, traveling a wide swath, across the soft flannel, across his hard chest, swirling around, crossing back then back again ending up on his stomach.

They both froze in that instant. Lorelai's breath left her lungs in a rush. She didn't know what possessed her to touch him like that but even now, she couldn't pull her hand away. She looked at her hand; her fingertips lightly resting on his stomach. God they were all right all along, she thought suddenly. She wanted him. And he wanted her too.

Luke's head was bent, his eyes hypnotized by the trail her hand had taken and how much he liked her touching him. It seemed to take forever but finally they both raised their heads to stare at each other. Lorelai was struck by the urge to kiss him and was even more surprised at the fact of how right, how natural it would be for her to do so.

Luke watched the sense of wonderment appear in Lorelai's eyes, yet he knew she was not denying what she was feeling and this time, neither of them would be shying away. She took that last step that brought her up against him as his hand came up to caress her cheek. His fingers moved to her neck as his thumb lightly ran along her jaw line then he was pulling her in to meet his open mouth.

Lorelai's lips parted instinctively just before their lips met. Their first kiss was the merest brush of open mouths. Luke's face retreated slightly, far enough to see the awakening joy in Lorelai's eyes. Her gaze dropped to his lips, stunned by the jolt her system had taken by the all-too-brief kiss. She knew he felt it too. Just as it dawned on her that she wanted more, Luke pulled Lorelai in again, this time for a much deeper kiss. He guided her head to his shoulder as he wound one arm around her neck while his other hand came to rest just below the small of her back, holding her to him. Lorelai's arms slipped from his waist up his back, her fingers splaying over the muscles shifting underneath his flannel. Neither was in any hurry to end the kiss as lips clung and tongues performed an intricate dance, twining together as they sank deeper into it.

Regretfully they broke apart. "Wow," Lorelai whispered in awe. "That was incredibly nice."

"Yeah it was," Luke replied in a soft breathless voice. He continued to rub his thumb along her delicate jaw line. Before either of them really had a chance to catch their breath, he dove for her mouth again.

Lorelai purred as he tenderly explored her mouth again, pressing into his body, her knees going weak. It seemed like another eternity before Luke raised his head again. Lorelai kept her eyes closed.

"Ah," Luke began uncertainly. Having Lorelai flush up against him was sending hot blood coursing through his body and he knew what he wanted but he was afraid she might think things were moving too fast. "Maybe we should, ah," his brain failed him and he didn't know what to say next.

Lorelai opened her eyes to stare up at him. The color of her eyes were a clear, shimmering blue, so open, so honest, so easy for him to get lost in.

"Maybe we should move this to a more comfortable spot?" she suggested. When his mouth dropped open in surprise, she smiled indulgently at him, his thoughts suddenly so easy to read. "It's not too fast, Luke," she told him simply. Somehow she found the strength to step back from him. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along with her as she walked backwards. "In fact," she told him in complete honesty, "it's taken us years to get to this point." She shook her head at their folly. "We've been too slow."

Lorelai led him over to his bed, pausing beside it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for yet another searing kiss. She felt all questions and doubts leave him as he gripped her waist and pressed close to her again.

"It's a single bed," he warned her when they broke apart.

"That means you won't wander off," she said impishly.

They both chuckled. Luke was pretty sure that regardless of the size of the bed, he wouldn't stray far from her. His face grew serious as he deliberately undid the top few buttons on her blouse, watching her face as he did so. She stood unmoving for a few moments, smiling her encouragement before she herself went to work undoing his buttons.

Shirt and blouse were soon cast aside and Luke let out a strangled sigh at the site of her in a lacy bra. Almost reverently, his right hand came up to cup her breast, his thumb lightly brushing the hardening peak. Lorelai tugged his t-shirt out of his jeans and quickly pulled the shirt over his head. She laid her hand flat right over his heart, marveling at the heat and texture of his skin. Luke leaned in to capture her mouth again.

This kiss had demands from both of them behind it. Lorelai whimpered into Luke's mouth as he pulled her flush against him once more and her engorged nipples came in contact with his hard chest. She rubbed up against him eagerly, her nipples tightening further when he groaned.

She pulled away slightly from his lips. "Bed," she mewled at him.

This time they completely separated, two minds but with one single purpose. They both knew they were taking too long undressing each other so they finished disrobing themselves. Lorelai turned to sweep the blanket aside as she stepped out of her panties and reclined on the bed. She was glad she did when she caught sight of Luke in all his naked glory. Even lying down she felt herself go weak in the knees.

It had taken him longer to undress because of his boots and his socks but as he shed his pants and boxers in one fell swoop and straightened, Lorelai ogled his manly form appreciatively. He was beautiful she decided, with a great body. Not one of those cheesy, fake-looking, workout bodies, but a body with broad shoulders and natural muscular definition, chiseled out of hard work. His chest had a generous dusting of fine light brown hair that teasingly led her gaze as it funneled downward before expanding out. Her eyes widened as it locked on his hardened shaft. It was big, just like the rest of him and she felt a fluttering deep in her belly.

"Someone's been hiding their light under a bushel," she teased in anticipation.

Luke didn't answer. He stood with his hands at his sides, letting her look to her heart's content, all the while gaping at the vision of her on his bed. Her breasts rose and fell with the short panting breaths she was taking. His eyes wandered down, from her flat belly to the dark triangle of curls just waiting for his touch to the long, supple legs, legs he'd envisioned twined around him in his dreams.

Luke slowly walked towards the bed. As he bent over it, Lorelai eased back, with a sultry look, legs slightly spread in open invitation.

Luke paused, as something occurred to him. "Ah," he opened the drawer of his nightstand.

"What are you looking for?" Lorelai asked impatiently. She wanted him now.

"We need protection," he answered her. As much as he wanted her, he had to think realistically.

"It's okay," she assured him. "I'm on the pill and clean to boot." She opened her arms for him.

"Same here," he told her, abandoning his task at her words. He braced his hands on either side of her, his knee coming down between hers and then they were skin on skin. Luke's hand nudged its way between her lower lips, a tremor going through him as he tested her readiness and felt her wet, slippery heat begging him to take her. He couldn't wait any longer.

Lorelai's mouth rounded in an astonished O at his first thrust. The sheer size of him was stretching her wide and as he plunged deeper she let out a gravelly moan. Luke withdrew slightly, thinking he'd hurt her, when suddenly her legs locked around him.

"Where do you think you're going pal?" she demanded.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"I'm great," she promised. "I'd be even better if…" she trailed off as she contracted around the part of him embedded inside her, insistently tugging him in deeper.

"Damn," he said fervently as he thrust forward again filling her.

It only took a few moments for them to find their rhythm. Once he was completely buried inside her they moved as one. Lorelai loosened her legs only slightly, but not enough so he could pull out. She had him right where she wanted him. The way she flexed her internal muscles around him, scattered any rational thoughts from Luke's brain. He pumped into her changing speed and angle, gliding in and out, teasing her with the most delicious friction. Her soft cries of pleasure, the way she rose up to meet each thrust were driving him wild.

Lorelai felt like she was teetering on the brink of orgasm. Luke had steadily built her up but kept her flirting on the edge, her body greedily hoarding every nuance of this experience not realizing she was giving back just as much as she got. She wanted him with her, sharing nirvana together. Whimpering, she clenched around him more tightly, her nails streaking down his back.

Luke arched into her at that point as he exploded inside her. The shaky, keening moan told him she was climaxing too as he surged into her uncontrollably. Lorelai sobbed her delight out mingling with his own hoarse voice at each spurt. They continued on savoring the ripples of pleasure that swept through them.

It was a while later and a much calmer moment when Luke raised his head and looked into her eyes again. He could see the tender adoration clearly written in them and knew she could see the same in his. She wriggled slightly, getting more comfortable and he could feel her foot rubbing his calf in a very sexy, relaxed way.

"I have no words," she told him softly.

"That's a first," he teased her gently. He caught sight of the clock and realized how late it was. "You probably should get home to Rory," he said trying but failing to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Lorelai smiled at him, remembering her conversation with her daughter before she left. No, Rory wouldn't be too surprised if she didn't come home tonight. After such a blissful experience, she had no intention of leaving.

"Nope, you're stuck with me pal," she told him.

Luke drew back. "Rory will be okay with this?" he asked.

"She's been encouraging it all along," Lorelai confessed. "She told me she'd see me when she sees me." She tightened her arms around him. "Iwanna stay," she pouted at him.

"It is a single bed," he reminded her.

"It will be fine," she insisted.

Luke withdrew and they began the complicated process of maneuvering themselves on the bed in a comfortable position. They had just about managed it when Lorelai declared, "See? I told you—"

Luke suddenly lost his balance and fell off the bed with a thud.

"Luke!" Lorelai peered over the side, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Luke was sprawled next to the bed. Luckily the distance hadn't been too great nor had he hit his head. He eased his head down so it was resting on the floor. "I'm fine," he assured her, "but there is no way we can sleep in that bed. I should take the couch."

"No!" Lorelai protested. She wanted him next to her not across the room.

Luke made an exasperated sound then suddenly he was on his feet, across the room to the closet. Lorelai's mouth curved in an appreciative smile as she watched the muscles of his back and legs flex as he rooted around.

For once Lorelai had to agree with Miss Patty. "I am lovin' the floor show at this place."

Luke emerged holding his sleeping bag and shot her a look. He walked around the bed unzipping the bag. "This might work." He spread it out opened, like a blanket on the floor, silently congratulating himself on his foresight to have washed it when he used it a few short weeks ago. He approached the bed and grabbed the pillows and the blankets laid them out. It was big enough for the two of them and even though they would be sleeping on the floor it looked very inviting.

"What do you think?" he asked of his handiwork.

"I'm impressed," Lorelai said sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're like a dirty MacGyver."

"Just think about what I could do with some string and a paper clip," he quipped extending a hand to her. She took it as she came off the bed. He helped her get down on the floor. As she lay back, the clean and fresh-smelling scent tickled her nose. She was surprised at the comfort of the down-filled bag. Luke stretched out beside her, pulling the blanket over them.

"Well," she said in an exaggerated tone. "Now what do we do?"

"I have a few ideas," Luke said, grinning wolfishly at her.

"Gee, maybe build a fire? Sing some campfire songs?" she suggested innocently.

"Tell you what, I'll build the fire," he told her. "You just relax."

"Where are you going to find the wood?" she asked outrageously.

"Just leave that to me," he said as he nuzzled her neck, moving upward to suck her earlobe.

Luke brought his hand up and cupped her breast once again before his mouth dipped to her nipple. As he sucked it into the heat of his mouth, he swirled his tongue around the hardening nub. Lorelai sighed, giving herself up to his ministrations. Her eyelids fluttered closed then opened just enough for Luke to see her desire returning full force.

Now that they had been initially sated, Luke wanted nothing more than to take his time, exploring every inch of Lorelai's body. He wanted to know all of her body's secrets, what brought her the most pleasure. He spent a long time at her breasts, tenderly massaging them, tweaking her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, suckling them until she moaned. He felt her hands in his hair, caressing his back but he gently captured them and drew them away from his body.

"Relax," he told her as he laid her hands down by her sides.

Lorelai protested feebly but did as he asked.

Luke returned to her breast, nuzzling the undersides before moving downward. His mouth trailed along her ribcage, blazing a molten path. Lorelai gasped as nerve endings flared to life under his talented tongue. His hands stroked the velvety skin of her belly and her hips. Lorelai's hips writhed uncontrollably and he heard a breathless "Luke" but he continued on, his lips fusing over her belly button, wiggling his tongue in and around it.

Her hips surged upward again. "That's some fire you're building," she informed him. She already knew she was wet and more than ready for him and he'd barely made it past her waist.

He didn't reply. His hands moved to her thighs. He smiled against her skin as she spread her legs for him, encouraging him to explore where she now most wanted him but he ignored the obvious and continued stroking her outer thighs. His fingers traced to her inner thighs but he only went so high before heading down to her knees. He heard her whimper as her hips bucked up again.

Luke let out a devilish laugh before raising her leg straight up in the air. Before she could think to ask what he was doing, his mouth was pressed to the small of the back of her knee. He sucked the previously unknown tender spot with hard rhythmic tugs. The hot, achy pleasure jolted up her leg to her center.

"Luke, you're killing me here," she panted. Both hands were gripping the sleeping bag as she tried to hold on.

Instead of replying, Luke proceeded to her calves, kneading, stroking and patting her smooth skin. His finger lightly traced along her instep before scrapping the area with his teeth. Her whole body shuddered in aching response. She didn't know how much more she could stand.

"How's that?" he asked finally.

"You missed a spot," she ground out breathlessly.

"Really?" he pretended to be confused. "Which one?"

"Just keeping working your way north," she begged. "I'm sure you'll find it."

His mouth was back on her body again, making a maddening ascent up her legs to where she most desperately needed him. Lips and tongue blazed a path to her inner thighs, his shoulders holding her legs open even wider. His fingers delicately slipped between her lower lips and he paused, looking into her eyes.

Her eyes were begging with him, pleading with him to take her. She wasn't capable of saying a word, she just panted, watching him.

His head dipped lower and he brushed his tongue over her clit. He heard the strangled sound forced from her lips at each roughened flick. She'd managed to raise her hips, giving him easier access but nearly collapsed back to the floor as he really went to work.

"There, you found it," she whispered throatily.

Luke continued to bathe her clit with slow flicks of his tongue. He varied his licks, sometimes rough like sandpaper, sometimes smooth and slippery like silk. As he laved her clit, his fingers plunged into her opening, saturated from their release. It was all she needed. Lorelai surged upward, her hands clenching handfuls of the sleeping bag, her head moving from side-to-side unable to contain herself.

Luke brought her down from that ecstatic peak as slowly as her took her up. He took his time, fully drawing out her response until she relaxed once again on the sleeping bag. Her eyes were closed and even though she was struggling to get her breathing under control, her lips were curved in a very contented smile. Her breathing evened out and for a moment, Luke thought she had fallen asleep.

Lorelai suddenly she opened her eyes and stared deeply into his. As incredible as it had just been, she still was missing him. She knew he had to have been aroused by the interlude. Without a word she lifted her arms and held them open for him.

Luke was surprised that she wanted him after experiencing such an intense orgasm but he didn't hesitated. The spectacle of her response had left him hard and needy. He quickly moved up her body and in one fluid movement sank into her. He could see the pleasure burst forth on her face once again as he began to gently thrust inside her.

Lorelai reveled in the sensation of him filling her once again. Her tired muscles contracted around his pulsing erection. She could tell he was barely hanging on himself and she smiled almost indulgently as she flexed and coiled around him.

Moments later they soared aloft, caught up in a mutual explosion of passionate bliss. They clung to one another, savoring the downward plunge as they slowly fluttered back to earth.

Luke raised his head and gently brushed her hair back from her face. "You are incredible," he whispered.

"Right back atcha there fella," she answered him. As he withdrew and eased himself down next to her, her head found a comfortable spot on his shoulder as her hand curled around his neck. With a soft, contented sigh, she drifted off to sleep, secure in his arms.

~#~

Lorelai gradually woke up and it took a moment to recall where she was. When she did she glanced over and Luke sleeping beside her. She smiled tenderly at him, remembering the sweetness of the past night. He had been so passionate, so giving, seeing to her needs before his own.

It was then she noticed he had kicked away most of the blanket during the night. He was lying there almost completely exposed except for his feet. Lorelai let her gaze roam over him unchecked, taking full advantage of the opportunity to acquaint herself with his body without having him distract her. She studied him in the early light. As her eyes traveled down his chest to his flat stomach, then lower still, she saw the beginnings of one hell of a morning erection. She remembered how unswervingly he'd attended to her last night, drawing her out, making her crazy. She grinned lasciviously at his body, knowing exactly what she was going to do next.

Lorelai leaned over Luke's sleeping form, her fingers lightly stroking his nipples. She tweaked them gently until they were hard nubs before she slowly flicked her tongue over one, then the other, trailing her tongue along a wide path between them.

Luke let out a low "hmmm" but did not waken. Lorelai glanced down and saw her ministrations were having the desired effect on him. His shaft was firming up nicely. She lightly clasped him as she brought her tongue back to his chest. She kissed and licked her way down, tracing his ribs with the tip of her tongue. When she sucked on random spots on his lower belly, he let out a sleepy moan. He was expanding in her hand. She released him briefly to roll his balls in the palm of her hand before she went back to slowly stroking him from base to tip.

She was delighted that he hadn't awakened yet. It gave her more time to play. The way his body was responding, she could tell he was enjoying what she was doing to him. Finally she'd worked her way down to his rock hard shaft. She tucked her hair behind her ears; she wanted him to be able to see what she was doing when he woke up.

She swirled her tongue round his tip, once, twice, a third time before wiggling the tip of her tongue in his opening, Luke shifted his body, his head turned to the side and his face contorted in his sleep. Lorelai decided it was time he joined the conscious world. She sucked him into her mouth, plunging downward.

Luke was panting, dissolving in pleasure at the erotic dream of having Lorelai take him into her mouth. He'd had these dreams before but this one topped them all. His eyes suddenly snapped open with the keen awareness that this was not a dream. He looked down in shock as Lorelai was slowly pulling off him, her cheeks hollowed from the force of her suction. She'd stopped before he'd of popped out of her mouth and, noticing that he was finally awake, she let him slip from her mouth.

"Good morning, Mr. Danes. This is your wake-up call," she gave him a saucy wink before plunging down on him again.

"Holy shit," he said in a strangled voice. He seemed to have lost control of his body. His hands went to her hair, holding her, guiding her head and his hips thrust upward. She greedily sucked him deeper and his breath came out in a low hiss.

They'd moved in an easy tandem for a few strokes when Luke suddenly held her still. She glanced up at his face. His eyes were closed and his jaw was tensed and she could tell he was fighting his release. It was a full minute before he pulled her off him. His grip moved to her shoulders and he was pulling her up.

Lorelai let out a disappointed whine when she realized she wasn't going to get to finish what she started. Luke was insistently pulling her astride him. His fingers delved between her legs then he groaned in gratitude, finding her wet and ready.

Luke pulled her down and he was filling her, pulsating inside her again. He stared enthralled by the sight of her determinedly riding him, her features clearly displaying every nuance of bliss. His hands encompassed her breasts as they bounced so temptingly, her own engorged nipples brushing the palms of his hand before traveling down her body to caress her thighs as she grip his torso.

"Oh Luke," Lorelai sighed, drifting steadily upward on ripples of desire. He thrust into her more vigorous and she realized he'd managed to get his feet flat on the floor, his legs bent at the knees. She reached behind him and clutched his muscular thighs and eased back, his legs supporting her as they rode out their passion.

This time as she came, she let out a soft wail of pleasure, relishing every thrust, every flex of his body and then he exploded inside her too, his heat touching her deeply, enhancing her own orgasm.

Spent, she slowly pitched forward onto his chest in a tangle of hair, shaking body and trembling limbs. Luke's arms went around her, his fingertips lightly massaging up and down her spine. They lay there sated, too comfortable to move, enjoying their connection to one another.

Eventually she folded her arms on his chest and propped herself up, looking down at him. He tucked her tousled hair behind her ears. "Hi," she smirked at him.

"Wow, that was some wake up call," Luke said as loosened his hold and she eased down to his side. He caught his breath as he took in her disheveled beauty. "I could get used to this." He twined his fingers with hers.

"I could too," she agreed. They lay there in comfortable silence for a moment before Lorelai commented, "We probably should be getting up though." She pressed her face into his neck. "But I don't want to just yet."

"What are your plans for today?" he asked casually. He knew she had to go to work but was hoping she'd be back in the diner soon. There were some things he was hoping to make clear, how he'd wanted her and to have a relationship with her.

"I planned to go into the Inn for a while then I need to finish writing this paper," she said. She lifted her head and gave him an impish look. "I can honestly say this has certainly made my subject a hell of a lot more interesting."

"You aren't going to write about this?" Luke asked, concerned.

Lorelai let out a chuckle. "Of course not," she replied. "I want to get an A on this paper, not a triple X."

"Thank God," he said in relief, chuckling as well.

"What about you?" Lorelai asked curiously. "What are you going to do today?"

"Well, I'll be working in the diner until after the lunch rush and then I'm going out shopping," Luke said nonchalantly. "I was hoping to convince you to go with me."

"Shopping?" Lorelai repeated incredulously. "What are you shopping for?"

"A bigger bed," he said, looking at her hopefully, carefully gauging her reaction, praying this wasn't a one-time thing.

Lorelai beamed at him. "I think that can be arranged," she nodded, elated he wanted to be with her. She was suddenly overcome by joy and she hugged him. "I'm so glad I got this assignment for Spring Break," she said with a sigh as she snuggled up to him again. "And I'm so glad that this turned out to be more strictly business."

The End!

* * *

The prompt:

Business School Project over the Spring Break. - Lorelai is off for spring break from school. She has been given an assignment due over the holiday to complete a project regarding budget planning and expense forecasting for a fiscal year for a real current run small business. Part of the project is for Lorelai to interview and interact with a real business owner and document their processes and methods. She refuses to go to her dad and inadvertently mentions this project to Luke. She honestly didn't think of Luke or any business owner in SH because whoever the business owner is, they would have to obviously share their costs and expenses. She would never ask anyone is SH to share such private information. She was thinking of cheating because she had so much experience with the Independence Inn but Luke offers up himself? Luke takes her to a bank meeting, he shows her his books, demonstrates how he manages to order the perfect amount of food with minimal waste etc.. Lorelai becomes very impressed. At first it was all business and then it slowly turns to flirting. Late night coffee talks move away from business conversations and more the conversations are geared to hopes and dreams as they begin to acknowledge their true feelings towards each other.


End file.
